Susan Lucci On How A Happy Marriage Helps Her Thrive (VIDEO)

HuffPost Live

During the 41 years she played Erica Kane on "All My Children," Susan Lucci was in 10 television marriages. But her personal relationships have seen considerably less drama. Lucci explained to HuffPost Live host Ricky Camilleri how her steady family life and happy marriage help her thrive.

"I wake up, I'm happy," she said. "I have my family intact and I do the work that I love to do, and those things make me thrive."

Lucci married Austrian businessman Helmut Huber in 1969. She attributes some of their marital bliss to his acceptance of her public life. "I'm his second wife, so he had some practice before me," she joked. "I don't think that being married to a person who has a public career is for everybody. He was, when I met him, and he remains, very self-possessed, very self-confident, and very funny."

She continued, "I think if the shoe were on the other foot and he was kissing all those beautiful women the way I was kissing all the time -- I mean, shoes would have been flying. I would not have been as calm."

During the interview, "All My Children" fan Donna also asked Lucci what her beauty secrets are. Along with vigilant makeup removal and exercise, Lucci revealed one of her top tips for staying vibrant at 67.

"The simplest thing that I do that I can pass on is that I drink a lot of hot water and lemon," she said. "I drink two cups of coffee in the morning, and after that it's hot water and lemon all day. It hydrates. It's comforting. It's comfort, it's a warm liquid. It keeps me away from too much caffeine.

"And also I have read recently in a number of different places that hot water and lemon balances your pH, so it helps you to maintain a healthy immune system. So that's great. And it boosts metabolism."